Women in Upper Lusatia © Andreas Kaster

Easter cavalcade in Upper Lusatia

In Catholic Upper Lusatia, Saxony , Easter is hailed with great fervor and a whole host of traditional and religious events. These include the use of decorated Easter eggs (finely painted with filigree ornaments following old Sorbian tradition) in a children’s game similar to playing “marbles”; a ritual “walking of the borders,” wherein residents make a procession around the newly planted fields while singing hymns; and the Easter Ride, where formally dressed villagers ride off on decorated horses to visit a neighboring community bearing the altar cross and banners of their own village church. The Sorbs are an officially recognized national minority of Germany and inhabit the Lusatian region close to the Polish, Czech and Slovakian borders.

City of Kassel © GNTB

Kassel turns 1100 years old

Kassel , the cultural and economic center of northern Hesse will turn 1100 years old in 2013. The town was first mentioned on February 18, 913 AD, as the place where two deeds were signed by King Conrad I. The place was called Chasella and was a fortification at a bridge crossing the Fulda River. More than a millennium later, Kassel is particularly famous for its avant-garde dOCUMENTA exhibitions , the Hercules Monument and the Löwenburg (Lions Castle). It also gained recognition when the first German observatory was built here in 1558, followed by the Ottoneum in 1604, the first permanent German theater building. More than 2000 events are planned over the year-long celebration especially during festival week from September 13-22.

IGS World of Water © IGS Hamburg

IGS Hamburg opens in April 2013

From April 26 to October 13, the International Garden Showwill be held on an island in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg between the northern and southern branches of the River Elbe. Inspired by Jules Verne, this year’s theme is “Around the World in 80 Gardens” and incorporates imaginative ideas of gardeners, growers and landscape architects. The extensive grounds will be divided into different garden worlds, such as ‘world of continents’, ‘water worlds’ and ‘world of ports’, each displaying inspired designs of horticulture and floristry. Visitors can experience Hamburg ’s maritime flair and arrive by water, travelling to the show on a wooden barge: from Landungsbrücken through the impressive harbor with its wharfs, bridges and old industrial sites to the western tip of the Elbe island.

Bauhaus University © Weimar GmbH

Thuringia celebrates Art Nouveau founder

In March, a multitude of exhibitions will open in the federal state of Thuringia highlighting the life of architect, painter and interior designer Henry van de Velde whose 150th anniversary of birth will be celebrated this year. In Jena, the exhibition at the Kunstsammlung will focus on local works and the history behind the Ernst Abbe monument. In Gera, ‘Henry van de Velde and Haus Schulenburg, Construction history and Reconstruction’ will open on March 17. Lastly, ‘The architect Henry van de Velde’ at the Bauhaus University Weimar will open on March 29 and ‘Passion, function and beauty’ at New Museum Weimar will emphasize the many facets of van de Velde’s work.

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Travel to Germany is increasing at a rate faster than ever. According to numbers from the Federal Statistical Office, overnight stays by international visitors in accommodation establishments with more than ten beds totalled 59.8 million in the first ten months of 2012. This equates to an increase of 8.3 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. The numbers from the US market, which grew by a total of 4.1 percent between January and November or 4,551 million US overnights, highlight the fact that Germany remains one of America’s favorite European travel destinations.

Contact

German National Tourist Office

Wibke Carter

Public Relations Manager North America

122 East 42nd Street, Suite 2000

New York, New York 10168-0072

Phone: +1 212 661 7175

Fax: +1 212 661 7174

wibke.carter@germany.travel

www.germany.travel

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